Ogilvy, Byars Fading Into the Background with the Bulls Summer League Team

by Train Island on Jul 16, 2010 11:56 AM EDT in Vanderbilt Commodores Basketball Comment 7 comments

Much like Shan Foster earlier in the month, former Vanderbilt stars Derrick Byars and A.J. Ogilvy are having trouble making an impact in the 2010 NBA Summer League. The duo, who are both playing with the Bulls in hopes of making the big league roster, have both seen their minutes cut recently as the exhibition season wears on.

Byars, who was the Bulls' final cut in 2009, remains the team's starting shooting guard, but saw his minutes cut from 19 to nine over the last two games. His playing time in Chicago's last game was the least amongst all players who saw time on the court, and the 2007 SEC Player of the Year was the only member of his team to post a negative +/- number in a 79-50 blowout of the Clippers. He's currently averaging three points and three rebounds in his third run in the league. Additionally, he's also apparently starting to morph into Minnesota's Ramon Sessions, according to the NBA's Summer League site.

Derrick Byars
G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
2	2	14.5	0.25	0.4	0	0	3	3	1	0.5	0	2	2	3

Despite Byars's grim production, he's still outshining Australian big man A.J. Ogilvy, who played eight rebound-less minutes in the team's first game and failed to get off the bench in the Bulls' second game blowout. No official reason was given for Ogilvy's absence, but it can't bode well for his chances of making the starting squad.

A.J. Ogilvy
G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
1	0	8	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2

Foster, whose play we documented last week, is the only other Commodore with a shot to play in the NBA this year, had a decent game for the Mavericks, scoring six points on 2-3 shooting in 15 minutes, but has ceded much of his playing time to former Harvard standout Jeremy Lin. It appears as the Sugar Shan will likely have to ply his trade in Europe or in the D-League for the 2010-2011 season.

Shan Foster
G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
4	0	15.3	0.429	0.25	0.714	0	1	1	0.8	0.5	0	1	1	4.8

Finally, Jermaine Beal has caught on with the Miami Heat, a team with only unproven Mario Chalmers at the point. Beal will have a great opportunity to earn a roster spot, though he'll have to improve his shooting during the summer league. He leads all Vandy players in points scored (7.5/game), but is doing most of his damage from the free throw line. He'll have to out-play former rival Kenny Hasbrouck of Siena to earn a spot as the second or third string guard for Lebron's new team, though his inclusion will rely heavily on not only his performance, but Miami's free agent pickups.

Jermaine Beal
G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
2	0	24	0.182	0	1	0.5	1	1.5	2.5	1.5	0	1.5	1	7.5

So far, it appears that Beal will have the best shot of playing in the pros next season, despite his average performance (he has to show he can score from the field), thanks to Miami's need for true point guards. However, it will be disappointing if three of the team's biggest stars from one of the greatest eras of Vanderbilt basketball fail to put on a NBA uniform in the regular season, but time hasn't run out on these guys yet. Though they all face some long odds, Europe and the D-League will present opportunities for these Commodores to round out their games and add the facets they need to play at the highest level. Byars is the oldest of the three, and at just 26 he's still got plenty of high-level basketball ahead of him. However, only time will tell if any of the trio can carve out a niche that brings them stateside for a NBA career.

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